


Carved in the Ice

by DemonicSymphony



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Skating, Ice Skating, M/M, pairs skating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3234584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonicSymphony/pseuds/DemonicSymphony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty are partners on and off the ice. After skating competitively for years and with numerous awards under their belts, they've retired from competition to try their hand at performance.</p><p>Can they land the coveted pairs lead in one of the premier ice productions which will also land a job for their coach, former medalist John Watson?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carved in the Ice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scopesandskullties](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=scopesandskullties).



> Well, here it is. Scopes sent me a prompt for a three sentence fic for sheriarty ice dancer AU... And I couldn't keep it to three sentences. Also, ice dancers don't jump. I needed our boys to show off with jumps, hence not ice _dancing_.
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you have as much fun reading as I had writing.
> 
> Also, if it weren't for AD chat I would never have titles and nothing would ever be edited.
> 
> Special thanks to masked-alias!
> 
> As always you can find me on tumblr at [DemonicSymphony](http://demonicsymphony.tumblr.com)

Sweat dripped from Sherlock’s temple, dark curls damp against his head as he skated across the ice, his footwork intricate and daring against the music. Green-blue eyes concentrated on his partner.

Jim was right with Sherlock, his almost black hair escaping the gel that normally held it at bay. Dark brown eyes met Sherlock’s as they drew close to practice their spin. When it was completed they stood against one another, panting.

Applause from the sidelines drew their attention. Sherlock looked up as their coach hopped the wall and walked toward them. His small, stocky frame dominated the ice as he rubbed his shoulder against the cold.

"Good, great, actually. Sherlock, keep the spin in the first half a bit tighter. Jim, the first jump was a little wobbly... but, overall, fantastic." John shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You two have a shot at starring in this thing."

A voice rang out behind them. "Oi, more than a shot with you behind them, Watson." 

All three turned to see John's long-time boyfriend strolling into the rink, a green army duffle over his shoulder.

Sherlock's mouth twitched up in the corner and Jim rolled his eyes before giving John a shove. 

"Go on then, he's home early, yeah? We'll pick up tomorrow. Give us a call if you aren't too shagged out. Hey, Sebastian, good to see you back."

Sebastian waved to them, “Hello boys… I’m here to steal your coach.” He looked to John, a small grin on his face. “Well, come on then…”

John beamed at them before he strode across the ice. “Bash… I thought you were getting in tomorrow evening. I was going to meet you at the airport.”

Sebastian’s voice faded as they walked back down the hall, Sebastian’s arm flung around John’s shoulders. “We were able to get off base earlier… but I didn’t know if I’d be held up anywhere else…”

Jim huffed as he leaned against Sherlock. "Let's practice that lift again, I want to try something different. Will earn us more points with the choreographer.”

With a small smile Sherlock skated across the ice to put on some different music. He skated back out to Jim, letting the music ebb and flow as Jim described what he wanted to do.

Jim led and they went through their jumps before Sherlock caught him up and spun around with him, Jim arching and moving in Sherlock’s hands. His body twisted around and down as Sherlock skated and they drew to a stop.

Both of them were grinning like mad and Sherlock let out a soft whoop and spun them around.

Laughing Jim batted at his hands. “Enough, you… let’s go home and get dinner. We’ve been on the ice for hours.

Sherlock smiled as they skated around a bit to cool down before he scooped Jim off his feet, carrying him toward the locker room.

\---

The day of the audition for the acclaimed show dawned cold and grey. Sherlock slid out of bed, leaving Jim sleeping, mostly buried under the mountain of covers they kept on the bed. Low body fat percentages kept them both cold in the winter months… though the heated blanket John and Sebastian had given them for Christmas worked wonders for keeping the cold at bay.

Sherlock sighed as the kettle heated and he padded to go through his morning ablutions. Jim would be frantic, combing over every last detail in a near maniacal state, and Sherlock would have to sneak bits of toast in him. He heard the kettle as he finished scrubbing his face and rinsed the soap away before starting the tea steeping.

Jim was roused from his slumber by the smell of eggs and toast and, “Oh, mm, you found my favorite tea.” He was near boneless as he slid from the bed and tugged a blanket with him to the kitchen where he sat huddled in a chair.

“I had to order it, but I did find it. Good morning, love.” Sherlock leaned in and placed the cup in front of Jim, along with a plate of eggs and toast. He did not mention the rest of the day in hopes that Jim would eat before his brain started obsessing over the coming audition.

Sherlock sat beside Jim with his own plate and watched as Jim mindlessly shoveled food in his mouth the way he did before his brain came fully on-line. About half the food disappeared before Jim’s eyes focused and he took a sip of tea before flinging himself back. 

“Shower. Shower and then we have to talk about the routine. I want the music on by the time I get out… please.” He kissed Sherlock’s head and disappeared toward the bathroom.

“Well, more food than I expected.” Sherlock leisurely finished his breakfast and put Jim’s in the microwave to keep it warm before pushing the furniture back in the sitting room, knowing Jim would dance the moves out. He queued the music and settled in his chair with a fresh cuppa, waiting.

When Jim emerged from the shower he had on a pair of boxers and a vest. “None of the lifting, you need to save your arms, but shall we go through the footwork at the beginning?”

A small smile on his lip, Sherlock rose and hit the play button as he came to stand beside Jim. Within moments they were working through the footwork, side by side, completely in sync. 

Jim was beaming as they finished and he looked up to Sherlock. “We’re going to murder them all.”

Sherlock smirked, “Interesting choice of words, darling.”

“Well… I do hate it when people get in our way.” Jim winked to Sherlock and hit replay. “One more time.”

The morning was spent with Sherlock trying to keep Jim from obsessing over the afternoon. Too soon there was a knock at the door. Sherlock yelled for Jim to answer it from the bedroom.

John and Sebastian stood outside the door as Jim opened it. “Come in, come in… Sherlock’s just getting ready. Tea while we wait?”

Both of them politely refused and the three of them settled in, waiting on Sherlock and making small talk about which people from the production company were rumored to be sitting the auditions.

Sherlock appeared with their bags and looked around. “Shall we catch a cab there? Easier than taking the Tube.” 

With everyone agreed on a cab, the foursome made their way downstairs and out into the cool winter air. Jim gripped Sherlock’s hand, squeezing as he looked around, nerves starting to show through.

A small quirk of his mouth in the corner was the only indication Sherlock gave that he knew what was going on. Jim would be a bundle of nerves until that first note sounded… and then he’d explode.

Sebastian parted ways with them at the entrance, going in to watch from the spectator’s section while John followed them down to the locker room. He handled checking them in for the audition and reappeared as Sherlock and Jim were lacing their skates.

“You two ready?”

Sherlock looked up with a sharp nod. “We have this. You know we do.”

Jim sucked in a sharp breath. “It’s brilliant. We know this inside and out… We’re ready. We are.” He repeated the phrase several times under his breath and then took a few slow, deep breaths to calm himself.

“We’ll be fine, Jim.” Sherlock murmured before looking back up to John. “You can count on us.”

Landing this didn’t just mean jobs for them, it meant a job for John as technical specialist.

The three of them made their way out to the area where they’d wait to skate. The pair ahead of them was just starting and Jim and Sherlock watched as they moved to their music. Jim couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he watched. “They don’t have the technical strengths we do.” He murmured to Sherlock.

Sherlock shook his head. “No, they don’t… and she’s overbalanced on one side. Her ankle’s wrapped.”

John shushed them both with a disapproving look before looking back out on the ice. 

When the song ended the couple bowed to the people running the audition and exited the ice, smiling to Sherlock and Jim as they did. 

Soon a voice rang out. “Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty, please step onto the ice. Is John Watson present?”

John waved a hand from the box and the voice thanked him as Sherlock and Jim took their place on the ice.

With a deep breath, they settled and waited.

As the music started around them Sherlock and Jim flew across the ice. The opening of Fall Out Boy’s ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’ had them doing intricate footwork in tandem to the rhythm. When the lyrics started, they parted ways, skating across the ice in an impressive display of footwork only to come back for the chorus. Sherlock lifted Jim and spun with them both before flipping him back down.

They spun across the ice together, launching into a series of dramatic jumps in unison. A sharp whistle of approval rang out across the ice when they landed the last one.. Together they danced, Sherlock leading as they near waltzed across the ice, Jim’s smaller body tucked against his.

They glided around the rink, spinning together to the music. When the music stilled except for a beat they skated away from one another before coming back together and completing a difficult jump combination in time with the booming music. Sherlock drew Jim against him, spinning them around. As he spun Jim and lifted him over his head, the music swelled around them until Sherlock was slowly sliding Jim back down his body, both of them panting and gazing into one another's eyes. Sherlock tilted his head down, capturing Jim's mouth in a sweet kiss as the music drew to a close.

There was wild applause from the few spectators gathered, and a sharp whistle they knew had to be Sebastian. They held hands as they bowed to the audition judges. 

“John Watson is your coach, yes?”

Sherlock nodded. “He is.”

“And all three of you are seeking jobs with us, yes?”

“Yes.” Jim answered and looked across to John.

“John Watson- the same John Watson injured in the 2002 Winter Olympics?”

John cleared his throat across the ice and spoke. “Yes. The same.”

Sherlock’s eyes narrowed as he looked back up to the judges stand.

“Very well. Please stay, you’ll be asked to perform again in about an hour.”

Jim looked over to Sherlock as they skated off the ice. 

John winked to them as he ushered them past the new couple coming to the ice. “That’s it, lads.”

The three of them were buzzing with excitement as they made their way back to the locker room. It was unusual to be asked to skate again, but promising. Someone met them when they were almost back and beckoned them to a practice rink. 

“This is our assistant choreographer Molly Hooper…”

Molly gave a small wave. “Hello there. I’ve been asked to walk you through a few things and see how fast you can get them down.”

Sherlock and Jim exchanged a glance and nodded. 

“Alright then…” Jim conceded. “Do show us what you would have us do, Ms. Hooper.”

Molly blushed and ducked her head at the attention before skating across to put on some music.

The next forty-five minutes was far more grueling than either of them wanted to let on. Molly Hooper was a slender, brown haired, taskmistress, seemingly hell bent on putting Jim and Sherlock through the wringer.

When she called time, she looked no different than when they’d joined her. “Drink some water boys, you’ll be called back to the ice to show them what you’ve learned. Good luck.” She flashed them a smile and disappeared off the ice.

John snickered at them as he watched them flop out on the bench beside him. “Well, bit more fire in her than there seems like at first.”

“Isn’t she the one who won the world championships unexpectedly a few years ago?” Jim piped up.

“I can’t believe I forgot that. I must have deleted it.” Sherlock murmured. “No wonder this show does so well.”

“Well, I mean, Irene Adler is their principal choreographer...” John answered. “With Molly to back her up… Christ. You two, what have we got ourselves into?”

Sherlock tipped his head back and laughed. “The best ice show there is, period.”

Jim snorted, “Lest we forget, _Greg Lestrade_. I mean, he won how much over his career?”

John groaned. “I skated against him when I first started. He was _tough_ competition… but that’s a good man. I never saw him be a bad sport about anything…” He shook his head, “Go on, don’t let your muscles cool off too much.”

The minutes ticked by and Sherlock skated around the rink lazily, keeping his muscles warm as Jim did simple spins here and there.

Someone came and got them a few minutes later, ushering them back to the main rink. Molly smiled from the box where they’d enter the ice.

“Just like we practiced.”

Sherlock and Jim exchanged a look, taking off their guards once more and moving onto the ice. This time there were no voices, no question, just the start of the music they’d practiced to. 

The two of them shoved away from one another on the opening beats of ACDC’s Back in Black rang out across the ice. At the first heavy thunk in the music they executed flawless Russian splits, touching their toes before landing again.

When they landed there was barely time to breathe before they were using the few seconds between heavy hits in the music to build enough speed to launch themselves into tandem double toe loops. The spins in the air looked effortless. When they landed, they came back together for Sherlock to lift Jim and swing him back down in a near violent display of strength between the two of them. 

The routine wasn’t flawless by any means. Jim forgot pieces of the footwork, Sherlock was behind on a jump and nearly missed a lift… But for forty-five minutes of practice, it was breathtaking.

At the end of it, Sherlock and Jim stood panting, grins on their faces. They bowed to the judges and then to the small crowd, another whistle sounded. Jim let out a little giggle. 

“Fucking ‘Bastian,” He murmured to Sherlock under his breath.

“Thank you, gentlemen. Please come back to auditions in two weeks. Someone will give you copies of the routine we expect when you come back.”

With another small bow, the pair skated off the ice to hard thumps on the back from John.

“Come on, you two… We need to celebrate.”

As quickly as they could, they headed to the locker room to change while John picked up the routine information. 

Two weeks was an insanely tight schedule, but they could do it. 

As they emerged onto the street, John and Sebastian met them.

“Drinks?” Sebastian asked.

“So long as it’s not that bloody awful pub we went to last time,” Jim snarked, though it was obvious he was teasing.

“Actually, I’m famished. Wine at Angelo’s?” Sherlock murmured as he wrapped an arm around Jim’s shoulders.

“Perfect.” John nodded as he laced his fingers with Sebastian’s. “Because starting tomorrow, you two are going to wish you’d flaked on the audition and didn’t have a callback.”

Jim huffed, “As if, Watson.”

The group broke into laughter and spent the evening together, laughing and sharing food and wine.

\---

The next two weeks were hell for Jim and Sherlock. John was true to his word as he drove them through the routine. 

Sebastian sat back in the box beside the rink as he watched them the day before the audition.

“Quit ogling my arse, Moran!” Jim called as he skated by, smirking as he completed a simple toe loop in front of him.

John laughed as he skated across to Sebastian and settled in the box beside him. “You don’t have to come watch, you know…”

“Mm, I know, but they’re fun to tease and I get to see you,” Sebastian answered as he wrapped an arm around John.

Sherlock and Jim practiced another lift, Jim’s lithe body arching, draping over Sherlock in a show of strength and beauty from them both. The lift ended with Sherlock lowering Jim into a death spiral, his body stretching across the ice as Sherlock spun him.

Sebastian watched with rapt attention before murmuring, “You think they can do it?”

John’s grin was broad. “I know they can…”

\---

The ice was lightly scored from the previous pair… They’d been escorted off by a medic after failing to land a small throw, resulting in a smack of head to the ice. Sherlock and Jim skated out to the center and smirked at one another. The lights dimmed as they took their places.

Feedback sounded, the start of the song, as the lights flashed up, the first beats of Seether’s Remedy pulsing through the arena. 

With a shove, Jim and Sherlock moved away from one another, skating across the ice, angry energy wrapping everything they did. They came back together, dancing, footwork fast, violent. Sherlock lifted Jim, spinning him over his head before landing him again. The two of them took off across the ice together.

As the chorus started, they moved into a complicated series of jumps, landing all of them smoothly. The triple Axels done in perfect synchronicity made the corner of Sherlock’s mouth quirk up for just a moment. 

The skating was graceful, violent energy humming through it, a fight between the two on the ice… They moved in time with the music, Sherlock lifting Jim over his head before sliding him down into the death spiral, Jim’s small body arched.

When they parted ways, their body language radiated violence and anger, truly taking on the roles they’d been assigned with the routine. They executed a series of small jumps, simple, but flashy.

Sherlock and Jim clashed back together as though they were going to start slinging punches.

_Hold your eyes closed, take me in_  
 _Hold your eyes closed, take me in_

As ‘in’ was held Sherlock gracefully lifted Jim from the ice and threw him in what looked like a violent outburst. Jim’s lithe body spun through the air, arms tucked tight, ankles crossed. John would later swear up and down it all went in slow motion, him holding his breath and nearly biting through his lip as he waited for Jim to land.

As the music crashed back together, Jim landed the quadruple spin and the skaters waiting to audition let loose a cheer.

They skated, breaths coming in pants as they rocketed across the ice, footwork smooth and complicated. As the music wound down they came back together, looking ready for a fight. Their hands clutched one another’s shirts as each drew back a fist.

_And tell yourself, ‘You’ll be the death of me...’_

As the last line sounded, they swung on one another, the lights going black before they connected.

Amid clapping and whistles, the lights came back up, catching Sherlock and Jim grinning at one another, Jim wrapped up in Sherlock’s arms.

The booth where the audition judges were sitting lit up, revealing Irene Adler, Molly Hooper, and Greg Lestrade.

Lestrade moved to his feet and started clapping.

Sherlock and Jim bowed and smiled up to the booth.

“Right boys, I think that’s more than enough to be going on… Welcome to the show. Someone will meet you in the locker room with your information packets about when to come in and sign and all the boring things we need to do. Thank you.”

With a small whoop, Jim leapt up, making Sherlock catch him, spinning him around. Both of them managed to hold their delighted giggles until they stepped off the ice.

John beamed at them. “Well done, boys… well done.”


End file.
